3 days of fighting in a row, without weight category, without protection, with KO. Yes sir ! This is the Karate-Do tournament ! This is the Kyokushinkai World Open Tournament (IKO) held every 4 years since 1975.
166 warriors and 34 women on the 1st day. 1 survivor on the 3rd day after 8 fights. The one who wins has a crazy mental strength, a hardened steel body, and is able to overcome the pain, in short, he is the strongest.
The 12th edition is coming this week (November 22-24 in Tokyo). The legend continues to be written... We tell you about it...
By Ludovic Mauchien
Photos: L. Mauchien / DR
When you vibrate for karate, when you love fights, there are essential, unmissable events that you have to live at least once in your life. The Kyokushinkai World Open Tournament (IKO) is undoubtedly one of its great moments that gives you the sensation of living intensely your passion.
You smell the tradition, you breathe the smell of the fight, you feel the KO, the sweat, the blood. You inspire the spirit of these ultimate fighters, defying the rules of the ordinary mind, going beyond the common to penetrate the unfathomable, the (possible) limits of human consciousness, the “mind”.
To go to the end, they certainly need good luck, but reduced to its low limit. Above all, they need mental strength, physical condition, tactical and strategic intelligence. They must survive 3 days of fights, 8 fights of 3 minutes without protection and with KO, in a karate style where the art of dodging is not the priority, plus one breaking test (Tameshiwari)!
Personally, I had the chance to cover this event twice, the first time in 2003. This is the last Japanese victory ! Kiyama had dominated Plekhanov of Russia in the final, Brazil’s Teixeira had finished 3rd before winning in 2007.
16 years later, the great heavy weights have given way to smaller ones (that does not mean small...), more mobile, more physically sharpened. The Russian school is always on top and presents 2 of 6 favorites with Yeremenko and Kochnev. The Brazilian school is a little lower compared to its glorious past written by Filho, Feitosa and Teixeira.
As for the French, they have never done so well. Djema Belkhodja, finalist in 2015, now coach, it’s Antonio Tusseau who carry the French hopes at the Musashino Forest General Sports Plaza (Chofu, Tokyo). Presented in the Top 6 favorites with, also, Japan’s Takahashi, Kamada and Arata, he can write his great story. He has never been so close to being the World Openweight champion, the supreme title (Editor's note : an article on Antonio Tusseau is to come tomorrow Wednesday). Hajime !
The top fighters
There can be only one and only one will be after 3 days. For now, 6 fighters are presented as title favourites. Japan’s Yuta Takahashi (1 , 80m, 95kg), Shohei Kamada (1.86m, 95kg) and Shoki Arata (1.83m, 100kg), 8th in 2015 ; Russia’s Alexander Yeremenko, 7th in 2011 (1.80m, 92kg), Kiril Kochnev, ½ finalist in 2015 (1.90m, 87kg) and France’s Antonio Tusseau (1.84 m, 87 kg).
Russia's Andrei Luzin (1.87m, 84kg) and Ashot Zarinyan (1.75m, 79kg) and Japan's Mikio Ueda (1.87m, 102kg), 6th in 2015, are top seeded.
The tournament
1st day : 1 fight. 2nd day : 2 fights, breaking test (Tameshiwari). 32 fighters remain. 3rd day : 5 fights (including the final) + Tameshiwari if necessary to decide a fight. The fights, without protection, last 3 minutes + 2 possible overtimes of 1 minute if equality.
The program
Friday 22. 1st round men. Tournament children (from 6 years, with helmets).
Saturday 23. 4 women's rounds (1/4 finals included). 2nd and 3rd round men.
Sunday 24. 4 women, 32 men, 2 winners.
The legend
From Sato, the first winner, to Damyanov, the title holder, the World Open Tournament has being writing the best pages in Karate history...
1975.
128 fighters from 32 countries. 6 Japanese in the first 6 places. In the final, Katsuaki Sato dominates Hatsuo Royama. US Martin and Clark join the Top 8.
1979.
Oyama Sosai has been preparing his bodyguard for years. Makoto Nakamura, a Sumo without the beads, cannot be matched. He dominates Keiji Sanpei in the final. Willie Williams of the US is 3rd. He is the 1st Westerner on the podium.
- 1984.
Makoto Nakamura still has no equal. He achieves a feat that remains unique : keeping the Open weight world title ! He beat Keiji Sanpei again in the final. Akiyoshi Matsui, the current IKO Kancho, ranks 3rd. 192 fighters participate.
1987.
This is the advent of the prodigy. Small size, Akiyoshi Matsui wins brilliantly thanks to a magnificent technique coupled with a lightning speed. In the final, he dominates the legend of contact combat sports, Andy Hug of Switzerland, 1st Occidental to reach the final. 250 fighters from 112 countries participate.
1991.
Kenji Midori fights with a broken wrist. This does not stop him from becoming World champion. He beats his fellow compatriot Akira Masuda in the final. Francisco Filho of Brazil wins the Fighting Spirit Award.
1995.
Oyama Sosai is dead, Kyokushinkai has split. 168 fighters from 85 countries are participating in this 6th edition. Japan remains undefeated with the success of Kenji Yamaki, who dominates Hajime Kazumi in the final. Brazil’s Francisco Filho is 3rd ahead of Australia's Gary O'Neill and Denmark's Nicholas Pettas. Brazil’s Glaube Feitosa ranks 8th... 5 Westerners in the Top 8 ! Never seen before !
1999.
It was in line, it happens in the 7th edition. Japan is defeated for the first time ! The hero ? Brazil’s Francisco Filho himself, student of Isobe Sensei in Sao Paulo, winner in the final of Hajime Kazumi, already an unhappy finalist in 1995. Russia’s Pichkunov, Putin's bodyguard, is 3rd, Feitosa 4th, Pettas still 5th, Ryu Narushima 8th.
2003.
It's time for the new generation, the renewal of elites. Except Feitosa, again 4th, the Top 8 contains only “little big men”. Japan takes over the trophy thanks to Hitoshi Kiyama, happy winner of Russia’s Plekhanov in the final. Brazil’s Ewerton Teixeira completes the podium. The Russian fighter of Chechen origin, Lechi Kurbanov, ranks 5th.
2007.
Experience is needed to win the World Open Tournament. Ewerton Teixeira worked up his 3rd place in 2003 and became the 2nd Westerner and Brazilian to win the World Tournament. In the first final without Japanese, he defeated Jan Soukup of the Czech Republic. It is even a 1st podium without Japanese for this 9th edition. Armenia’s Artur Hovahnissian finishing 3rd. In fact, it's a national catastrophe for Japan that places only 1 fighter in the Top 8 at the... 8th place.
2011.
Ewerton Teixeira is not far from joining Nakamura in the legend but he loses in the final against the very young Russian (20 years), Tariel Nikoleishvili, brilliant winner. Russia’s Kapanadze finishes 3rd. 1st and only Japanese in the Top 8, Makoto Akaishi is 4th. Bulgaria’s Damyanov ranks 5th, Russia’s Yeremenko 7th.
2015.
Finally a small nation wins. It will be Bulgaria with Zahari Damyanov who dominates France’s Djema Belkhodja in the 3rd consecutive final without Japanese. 4 Russians are in the Top 8, including Kochnev, 4th, and Zarinyan, 5th. The Japanese have not come back to the top yet. Ueda is 6th, Arata 8th.
To follow
Antonio Tusseau, the gifted Frenchman, favourite for the title (wednesday).
Romain Anselmo, 3 times Team World champion in WKF, 3e Dan Kyokushin, is in Tokyo. His interview (Thursday).
